No one would dare accuse inventor extraordinaire Dean Kamen of resting on his laurels. Best known as the creator of the Segway, Dean has decied to tackle an incredible challenge for his next project, an electric hybrid[2] that is capable of utilizing any fuel and with practically zero emissions. The 2008 Deka Revolt consists of a Think car[3] upgraded with a stirling engine[4] that increases the vehicle’s efficiency and allows it to run on any fuel from biodiesel to natural gas.

The key to the Deka Revolt is the stirling engine[4], a closed-cycle regenerative heat engine that can theoretically have perfect efficiency. Although that is obviously outside our realm of capability at the moment, Kamen’s breakthrough came when he combined one of these engines with an electric motor. Through this combination he can use the stirling engine to run the Deka Revolt’s defroster and heater which are big drains on the engine, thus leaving the battery free to run the electric motor. If needed, the stirling engine can recharge the vehicle’s batteries as well.

But creating an alternative vehicle is only a small part of Kamen’s plan. If he can create a car that can be mass produced, he will have an engine that can be mass produced as well, which is his final goal. The mass production of such an engine has far reaching implications, since it could offer a versatile source of electricity to anyone on the planet.